Alateen Preamble, Revised at Last!
In September 2017, the Literature Committee received requests for revisions to the Alateen Preamble, while at the same time the Associate Director—Group Services at the World Service Office initiated a similar inquiry. Concerns were that the existing Preamble
The Area Annual Alateen Recertification Is in Progress!
Have you recertified as an AMIAS? Have you verified your Alateen Group information? Every year, each Area in the World Service Conference Structure is required to take part in the Annual Alateen Recertification process in order to continue
Let’s Explore the “Service Manual”!
When I joined Al‑Anon, the Service Manual did not exist in its present form. My group had a small three-ring binder in “the box” that held these four separate books—the pieces that now comprise the Service Manual—together in
This Must Be Serenity!
From as far back as I can remember, I lived with constant anxiety. As a person affected by the family disease of alcoholism, I worried about everything and lived in a constant state of fear. I chewed my
A New Way of Thinking
Alcoholism first affected me late in life. When my adult daughter started attending A.A. meetings, one of the members there suggested I attend Al‑Anon. I was so anxious to “help” her that I soon found a meeting. At
Neither Blame nor Credit
As the mother of an alcoholic adult daughter, I carried the guilt of “if only….” If only I had raised her differently, spoken differently to her, given her more attention, more structure, or less structure, I could have
What Is an Informed Group Conscience?
A “group conscience” is taken when a group decision needs to be made. It can be regarding any number of things, such as changing the group name, the meeting time and place, finances, or any other decision. Some
Group, District, and Area Autonomy
When I first came to Al‑Anon, I heard the term “autonomy” and was confused. How was I to get or give any help if I remained self-sufficient? What I soon realized was that my definition of autonomy was
25 Years—Don’t They Go by in a Blink
This April at the 2022 World Service Conference (WSC) meeting in New York, an exceptional trusted servant in national and international Al‑Anon service, Marsha W., will stand for the last time at the microphone as a World Service
A Saner, More Serene Life
After 28 years of marriage to my alcoholic husband, I finally reached the point of being so emotionally unhealthy that I went to my first Al‑Anon meeting. I sobbed for three months straight, but I didn’t miss a
Overcoming My Fear of Sharing
When I first came to Al‑Anon, I had the same fears about sharing in meetings that I’ve since heard other newcomers express: fear of the story getting back to the alcoholic, with disastrous repercussions; fear of sounding overly
Working My Problem or Working My Program?
I was attending a meeting where the group was studying How Al-Anon Works for Families and Friends of Alcoholics (B-32). The person reading the text aloud misread the line “I continued to work my program” as “I continued